Method of bursting short forms from continuous stationery



- Aug. 20, 1957 J. J. KESSLER METH CD OF BURSTING SEORT FORMS FROMCONTINUOUS STATIONERY Filed Oct. 4, 1955 Aug. 20, 1957 KESSLER 2,803304METHOD OF ,BURSTING SHORT FORMS FROM CONTINUOUS STATIONERY Filed Oct. 4,1955 2 SheetsSheet 2 United States Patent METHOD OF BURSTING SHORT FORMSFROM CONTINUOUS STATIONERY Jack J. Kessler', Chicago, Ill., assignor toI Jarco, Incorporated, a corporation of Illinois Application October 4,1955, Serial No. 538,401

4 Claims. (Cl. 164-845) This application is concerned-with a new methodof bursting short forms from continuous stationery.

Many business houses use continuous-form stationery for many of theiroperations. Invoices, records, carbon copies-of letters, sales reportsand many other items are now put on continuous-form stationery insteadof individual sheets of stationery. The practice has extended to use inmany different types of writing machines. Payroll checks and othernarrower width records are also made in continuous form.

After the writing operation is completed, the continuous stationery isdivided into its individual form lengths; This isaccomplished'ordinarily on a bursting machine through which thecontinuous stationery is run and automatically divided into itsindividual form length. The most usual bursting: machine has two pairsof coacting driven rolls spaced apart with one pair driven faster thanthe otheri The spacing of the rollers is such that when the stationeryis fed'b'etween them, one cross line of'we'akening will be locatedbetween the bightsof the two pairs of rolls so that the faster drivenpair may pull the form from the web by bursting it along the line ofweakening. For example, a 7" length form in continuous form could be runbetween the bursting rolls set 8 /2" apart so that the rearward feedrolls would grip the Web and the forward draw rollers would pull thefront form from the web along the line of weakening.

In the past, the faster driven set of rolls has been made adjustable inposition to accommodate difierent form lengths. The structures of thesemachines, however, has placed a limit on how close the two sets ofrollers could be put together. Ordinarily forms 3" and under in widthcould not be burst from a continuous web in the usual manner.

The present invention provides a new method for operating the standardtype of bursting machine described above so that it may be used to burstshort forms under 3 from a continuous web as well as the longer lengthforms.

It is, therefore, the primary object of this invention to provide a newand improved method of bursting short forms from a continuous web ofstationery.

A further object is to provide a new method of operating a burstingmachine intended for use with relatively long forms in a manner to burstshort forms from a web.

A further object is to provide a new method of bursting short forms froma continuous web by the use of bursting rolls spaced apart further thanthe width of a plurality of forms taken together.

Other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following description of the method as related to adiagrammatically illustrated bursting machine modified for use in themethod and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic side elevational view of the pertinent partsof the bursting machine chosen for illustration of the present methodinvention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through one Patented Aug. 20,1957 2. of the breaker rolls utilized in" the bursting machine and inthe method; and- Figure 3- is adiagrammatic plan'view of a portion ofthe bursting machine illustrated in Figure 1.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 and 3, the bursting m'achinehas apair of driven feed rollers 4 and 5 intended to receive the web'W ofcontinuous-form stationery from a supply pack 6 suitablysupported on aplatform 7. The web is drawn from the supply pack over an idler roll 8into the bight of the coacting feed rollers 4 and 5. Theburst-ingmachine is also equipped with a pair of coacting draw rollers 9and 10' spaced from the feed rollersand havingtheir bightin'substantially horizontal line with the bight of'the feed rollers. Thedraw rollers 9 and 10 are driven at a surface speed slightly in excessof the surface speed of the feed rollers. The web of stationery W has aportion W extending between the bights of the two pairs'of' coactingrollers. As illustrated in Figure 1, a stack 11 of separated forms areeallected on a suitable tray 12 by being discharged from the drawrollers in between a shelf guide 13 and an overhead wire guide 14.

As best seen in Figure'3, the web of stationery is quite wide inrelation to the width of a separated short form. The width of theformextends, for example, between cross lines of weakeninglS and-16. Eachshortform is of generally thesamewidth and extends over the'entirewidth'ofthestationery web. As also seen inFig'ure 3, one severedshort'forrn 17 is shown as being discharged from the dra-w'rollers andis quite long in comparison to its width' but its length was previouslythe width of the stationery web.

In the present method of operating the bursting machines, the shortforms are burst from the web whilea pluralityof cross lines of weakeningrepose between the bights of the two pairs of rollers! This is contraryto the ordinarily accepted mode of procedure in that it would seempossible for the web to part on any one of the lines of weakeningbetween the rollers indiscriminately. In the present method ofoperation, however, breaking cones or rolls are used to induce thebreaking of the web only at a predetermined line of weakening. Thus, inFigure 1, it will be noted that a breaking roll 18 is mounted upon ashaft 1.9 so that the top portion 18' of the roll is above the planeextending through the bights of the two pairs of rollers. The breakingroll thus defiects the web of stationery laterally from its normal pathof movement. This action causes the web to part on the line of weakeningover the breaking rolls.

The positioning of the pertinent structures is important in the methodof operating the bursting machine. The breaking rolls 18 may be used inmultiple number as illustrated in Figure 3 and should be placed from thebight of the draw rollers a distance equal to the width of a short form.Thus, as the leading edge of the web enters the draw rollers, a line ofweakening such as 20 in Figure 3 will repose over the crests of thebraking rolls. Since the draw rolls are driven faster than the feedrollers, tension will be placing on the web. At this instant, line ofweakening 20 is directly over the crests of the breaking rolls and theweb will part on the lineof weakening 20 rather than on any one of theother lines of weakening 21 to 24 inclusive which also are positionedbetween the two sets of rollers.

The breaking rolls are much smaller in diameter than either the feed ordraw rollers and thus can be maneuvered much closer to the bight of thedraw rollers than the minimum distance possible to obtain between thepairs of rollers. A simple shaft 19 may be provided with the breakingrolls 18 fastened thereon by means of a set screw 25, all as shown inFigure 2. As also shown in Figure 2, the breaking roll may mostconveniently be made in a conical form so that the web W is caused toride up over the crest of the roll. The tension applied to the webportion W will be greatest directly over the crest of the breaking rollso that the line of weakening will first part of this crest position andproceed readily across the web in both directions from the crest of thebreaking roll. The portions of the web between the breaking rolls(Figure 3) may not be particularly raised from the plane passing throughthe bights of the coacting rollers.

Another factor permitting the operation of the standard bursting machineto burst short tickets is that it does not particularly matter how manylines of weakening are positioned between the bights of the feed anddraw rollers. In those machines having an adjustable position drawroller carriage, the draw rollers may be placed at a position mostconvenient to the operator. The important consideration is to place thebreaker rolls a form length from the bight of the draw rollers so thatthey will be properly positioned to induce bursting along the line ofweakening next adjacent the draw rollers.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, for some modifications will be obvious to those skilled inthe art.

I claim:

1. The method of bursting short forms from a web of continuousstationery having cross lines of weakening between the forms comprisingthe steps of advancing the web between a pair of driven feed rollers andtoward the bight of a pair of driven draw rollers; driving the drawrollers at a speed in excess of the speed of the feed rollers; spacingthe feed and draw rollers apart adistance to permit a plurality of shortforms and cross lines of weakening in the web between the rollers duringbursting; and feeding the leading edge of the web into the bight of thedraw rollers while inducing tearing of the web along the next adjacentline of weakening before the draw rollers can tension the websufliciently to tear along other lines of weakening between the rollers.

2. The method of bursting short forms from a web of continuousstationery having cross lines of weakening between the forms comprisingthe steps of spacing a pair of coacting draw rollers from a pair ofcoacting feed rollers a distance in excess of the combined width of aplurality of said short forms; driving both pairs of rollers, the drawrollers faster than the feed rollers; advancing the web between the feedrollers and its leading edge into the bight of the draw rollers totension the web portion between the pairs of rollers, and laterallydeflecting the web locally at one cross line of weakening between therollers simultaneously with said tensioning to induce bursting of theweb only along said one line of weakening.

3. The method of bursting short forms from a web of continuousstationery having cross lines of weakening between the forms comprisingthe steps of passing the web between a pair of driven coacting feedrollers and into the bight of a pair of faster driven coacting drawrollers; spacing the pairs of rollers so that the web portion betweentheir bights contains a plurality of cross lines of weakening; andplacing a breaker roll in the path of the web between the pairs ofrollers to deflect the web laterally at a cross line of weakening nextadjacent the draw rollers to start breaking of the web only at said lineof weakening when the driven rollers place tension in the web.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3 including the step of deflectingthe web along said cross line of weakening at a plurality of localpoints along the length of said cross line simultaneously withtensioning of the web between said pairs of coacting rollers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

